Laundry press



E. D. RAPISARDA 1,984,496

LAUNDRY PRES S Dec. 18, 1934.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 8, 1934 INVENTOR. film/m i. FAP/JMM I I I I I I} I I BY /awww m ATTORNEY Dec. 18, 1934. E. DQ APISARDA 1,984,4

LAUNDRY PRESS" Filed Marph 8, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TT ORNE Y Patented Dec. 1%, 1334 UNITED STATES watt PATENT OFFME 1,984,496 LAUNDRY PnEss Edward D. Rapisarda, Agawam, Mass.

Application March 8, 1934, Serial No. 314,545

7 Claims. (01. 63-9) This invention relates to laundry presses and has particular reference to power operating mechanism therefor. One object of the invention is to simplify the operating mechanism. Another object is to provide an operating mechanism in which a large pressing force can be developed from a small motive power. Another object is to avoid the power reducing or adverse leverages which have hitherto been found necessary in toggle operated presses in order to give sufficient motion'to the movable head. Another object is to improve upon prior presses in the matter of accessibility of the buck, by providing a simple mechanism operating to swing the head rearwardly out of the way of the operator. Another object is to provide a mechanism which will eliminate the presence of high stresses in the supporting pedestal, thereby making possible the use of materials of a lighter weight than has heretofore been possible. Another object is to provide a toggle press in which the strain incident to the creation of high pressure between the buck and the head will be borne by the head carrying member and by a toggle member coacting therewith and transmitting its thrust directly to the buck. Additional objects will appear from the following description and claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, showing my improved press in fully opened position;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are details generally corresponding to a portion of Fig. 1, but showing the press in progressively advanced positions of closmg.

The press is carried upon a support or frame 10' which, for reasons which will appear clearly below, may be made much lighter than inprior constructions. Carried on this frame is a buck 11 which may be of any desired construction. The pressing head 12 is carried upon a c-frame 13 by any desired form of connection permitting a slight relative tilting motion. I have shown the C-frame as being provided with flanges 14 through which pass rods 15 attached to the head and bearing springs 16 compressed between the flange and washers 17 held in place by nuts 18. Screws 19 are threaded through the flanges and bear against concave abutments 20 on the head. By this means the head may have a slight rocking movement about the axis determined by the points of contact of the screws 19 with abutments 20, but will be returned to and held in a predetermined normal position by the springs 16 as soon as the head moves away from the buck.

The C-frame 13 is preferably made with a central web 21 and with flanges 22, so that great strength is obtained without excessive weight. The flanges 22 are slotted at 23 to receive a rod 24 secured to the frame adjacent an opening 25 therein through which the C-frame passes, collars 26 on the rod securing the C-frame against lateral shifting. The rod 24 serves as a guide and support for the C-frame when the latter is in the position of Fig. 1, but does not bear any of the strain incident to the exertion of pressure between the buck and head for reasons that will appear below. At its lower end the c-frame is provided with enlargements 27 supporting pivots 28, and with extensions 29 connected by counterbalancing springs 30 with the frame of the buck.

Pivoted at 31 to the buck frame is a member 32 having arms 33 extending from it and coupled to the pivots 28. The surfaces of the arms which are uppermost in Fig. 1 are engaged by rolls 34 mounted on a cross head 35 carried by the piston rod 36 of a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder 37. This cylinder is supported at one side by a strut 38 pivoted to it and to the buck frame, and at the other by a pair of rails 39 pivoted to the buck frame and serving as guides for rolls 40 arranged alongside the rolls 34 on the cross head 35.

The operation of the device can now be described. Starting with the press open as in Fig. 1 air or water is admitted to the upper end of the cylinder 37 through a pipe 41. Any usual or desired controlling arrangement may be used, but as my invention relates to the operating mechanism and is not dependent upon any particular control this controlling arrangement has not been illustrated. As the piston rod 36 is drawn down by the force of this fluid the rolls 34, 40, which may be regarded functionally as a composite single roll, press the arms 33 downwardly. Lateral movement of the rolls is prevented by the rails 39. As the arms 33 swing downwardly they lower the pivot 28 and cause the C-frame 13 to swing in. During this part of the operation the pivot 24 and the slot 23 act to guide the C-frame in the desired path. This action is shown in Fig. 4.

At about the period in the cycle illustrated by Fig. 5, however, the head 12 contacts with the buck 11, and thus fixes the position of the upper end of the c-frame. As the rolls 34, 40 continue their descent the C-frame will swing about its point of contact with the head as a pivot the slot 23 exerts little or no guiding function. The portion of the slot coming into action at this point in the cycle is thus made arcuate, with the point of contact between screws 19 and abutments 20 as a center. As the rolls 34, go even further down they push the pivot 28 into a position where it is almost directly in line with the pivots 20 and 31, as is clearly shown in Fig. 6. The C-frame and the arms 33 thus form an inverted toggle, permitting great pressure being exerted between the head and the buck by a comparatively light pressure sideways on the pivot 28. This sideways pressure is obtained by the wedging action of rolls 34, 40 and requires a much less powerful pull on the rod 36 than has been possible with prior devices.

Several features of operation of the press may be noted. It will be clear from-a comparison of Figs. 1 and 4 that a large lateral movement of the head 12 is obtained from a relatively slight downward movement of the piston rod. There is no load on the press at this time, the G-frame being practically balanced'in the position of Fig. 1 with the head 12 almost centered over the rod 24. The head is, however, free to stop its motion as soon as it reaches the buck, all further motion being in the form of swinging of the C-frame relative to the head. When the final heavy pressure is being applied by a movement of pivot 28 into a straight line relationship with the pivot axes 20 and 31 the downward movement of the head is relatively slight in comparison with the lateral movement of the pivot 28, so that a very heavy pressure can be applied with a small power. source. At the same time, no unfavorable or adverse linkages are introduced into the system for the sake of obtaining sufficient travel of the head away from the buck, as has been the practice with other types of toggle linkages.

It is preferable to make the strut 36 adjustable, as by a turnbuckle 42 reached through an opening 43 in the frame, so that the rails 39 can betilted slightly to bring the toggle more or less into its straight line position. This gives a ready means of adjusting the pressure between the buck and head while leaving the screws 19 and nuts 18 free to control the register between the pressure members and their evenness of contact. The slot 23 might be enlarged so as to have no effect of its own in guiding the C-frame after contact between the buck and the head have occurred. It is preferred, however, to have the slot exert enough of a guiding effect after such contact to prevent the tendency (evident on an inspection of the direction of forces in Fig. 5) to draw the padding on the buck towards the rear of the buck. The slot 23 takes no substantial load during this period, but keeps the head 12 descending vertically upon the buck until the downward force on the C-frame is also vertical.

It will be observed in Fig.' 6 that all of the stresses producing pressure between the buck and head are taken up by the C-frame, the members 32, 33, and. the base 44 of the buck. None of this stress travels through the supporting frame 10, which needs only be heavy enough to bear the weight of the parts. Other changes in the specific form shown may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A press having a main frame, a buck carried by the main frame, a swinging member pivoted to the main frame below the buck, a C-frame pivoted directly to the swinging member, a pressing head pivotally mounted on the C-frame in such a position that when the head is in contact with the buck the pivotal connection between the head and the c-frame, the pivotal connection between the C-frame and the swinging member, and the pivotal connection between the swinging member and the main frame are all in substantial alignment, and means for moving said swinging member.

2. A press having a main frame, a buck carried by the main frame, a swinging member pivoted to the main frame below the buck, a C frame pivoted directly to the swinging member, a pressing head pivotally mounted on the c-frame in such a position that when the head is in contact with the buck the pivotal connection between the head and the C-frame, the pivotal connection between the c-frame and the swinging member, and the pivotal connection between the swinging member and the main frame are all in substantial alignment, means for guiding the C-frame so that as the swinging member is moved from said position of alignment the head will be carried laterally away from the buck, and means for moving said swinging member.

3. A press having a main frame, a buck carried by the main frame, a swinging member pivoted to the main frame below the buck, a C-frame pivoted directly to the swinging member, a pressing head pivotally mounted on the C-frame in such a position that when the head is in contact with the buck the pivotal connection between the head and the c-frame, the pivotal connection between the C-frame and the swinging member, and the pivotal connection between the swinging member and the main frame are all in substantial alignment, a rail structure adjacent the swinging member, a fluid pressure cylinder and piston mechanism, a cross head coupled to said mechanism, and means on the cross head engageable both with the rail structure and with the swinging member to wedge said swinging member towards said position'of alignment.

4. A press having a main frame, a buck carried by the main frame, a swinging member pivoted to the main frame below the buck, a c-frame pivoted directly to the swinging member, a pressing head pivotally mounted on the C-frame in such a position that when the head is in contact with the buck the pivotal connection between the head and the c-frame, the pivotal connection between the C-frame and the swinging member, and the pivotal connection between the swinging member and the main frame are all in substantial alignment, the C-frame being provided with a slot, a pivot bar extending across the main frame and through the slot, said slot being shaped on an arc with its center approximately at the pivoted connection between the C-frame and the head for all positions of the c-frame in which the head is in contact with the buck, and shaped in its remaining portion to guide the C-frame to a press opening position with the head laterally displaced from the buck, and means for moving said swinging member.

5. A press having a main frame, a buck carried by the main frame, a swinging member pivoted to the main frame below the buck, a C-frame pivoted directly to the swinging member, a pressing head pivotally mounted on the c-frame in such a position that when the head is in contact with the buck the pivotal connection between'the head andthe C-frame, the pivotal connection between the c-frame and the swinging member, and the pivotal connection between the swinging member and the main frame are all in substantial alignment, the c-fame being provided with a slot, a pivot bar extending across the main frame and through the slot, said slot being shaped on an arc with its center approximately at the pivoted connection between the c-frame and the head for all positions of the c-frame in which the head is in contact with the buck, and shaped in its remaining portion to guide the c-frame to a press opening position with the head laterally displaced from the buck, a rail structure adjacent the swinging member, a fluid pressure cylinder and piston mechanism, a cross head coupied to said mechanism, and means on the cross head engageable both with the rail structure and with the swinging member to wedge said swlnging member towards said position of alignment.

6. A press having a main frame, a buck carried by the main frame, a swinging member pivoted to the main frame below the buck, a O-frame pivoted directly to the swinging member, a pressing head pivotally mounted on the c-frame in such a position that when the head is in contact with the buck the pivotal connection between the head and the c-frame, the pivotal connection between the c-frame and the swinging member, and the pivotal connection between the swinging member and the main frame are all in substantial aligninent, means for guiding the c-frame so that as the swinging member is moved from said position of alignment the head will be carried laterally away from the buck. a rail structure pivotally secured to the main frame adjacent the swinging member, a fluid pressure cylinder secured to the free end of the rail structure, an adjustable strut connecting the rail structure and cylinder to the main frame, a piston in said cylinder, a piston rod coupled to the piston, a crow head carried by the piston rod, and means on the cross head engageable both with the rail structure and with the swinging member to wedge said swinging member towards said position of alignment.

'7. A press having a main frame, a buck carried by the main frame, a swinging member pivoted to the main frame below the buck, a C-frame pivoted directly to the i member, a pressing head pivotally mounted on the c-frame in such a position that when the head is in contact with the buck the pivotal connection between the head and the c frame, the pivotal connection between thee-frame and the member, and the pivotal connection between the swinging member and the frame are all in substantial alignment. means for guiding the c-frame so that as the swinging member is moved from said position of alignment the head will be carried laterally away from the buck, and. means for moving said member, and a counter- 

